The Copybook

Short passages for reading, drawn from history, legend, poetry and fiction.

1519

© Fingalo, Wikimedia Commons. Licence: CC-BY-SA 2.0.

Byron and Hercules by Clay Lane

Lord Byron could not have hoped for a better omen in his support for the oppressed people of Greece.

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1520

Wikimedia Commons. Licence: Public domain.

The Third Siege of Missolonghi by Clay Lane

The cruelty of the Ottoman Turks so shocked Europe that the tide of opinion turned against them.

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1521

© Jon Thomson, Wikimedia Commons. Licence CC-BY-SA 2.0.

How Alfred Burnt the Cakes by Charlotte Yonge

A popular tale of scorched cakes and a scolded king.

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1522

© Martpan, Wikimedia Commons. Licence CC-BY-SA 3.0.

The Gift Thrice Given by Clay Lane

A story about William the Conqueror’s father, Robert the Magnificent.

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1523

© Alex Saunier, Wikimedia Commons. Licence: CC-BY-SA 2.0 France.

The Hobbit by Clay Lane

Tolkien’s tale of dragons, magic rings and enchanted gold is one of the masterpieces of English literature.

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1524

From the 15th century Bedford Hours. Via Wikimedia Commons.

David and Bathsheba by Clay Lane

David’s scheme to steal another man’s wife succeeded, but he could not keep his secret from everyone.

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Clay Lane The Copybook
About Clay Lane nicholas@claylane.uk

© Nicholas Armitage / Clay Lane, 2025

April 30 NS

April 17 OS

Two Letters Home : A German soldier stopped the Great War so he could ask Captain Hulse to post a letter for him.
Smile : Choose adjectives of praise for these nouns, at about the 7/10 level.
The Making of Mark : St Mark wrote his Gospel as a summary of the preaching of St Peter.
Zheng He and the Rise of Malacca : Malacca became a refuge from the overbearing empires of the Far East, thanks to a celebrated Chinese admiral.
Confusables : Compose sentences to bring out the similarities and differences between these words.
Jill and I : Include yourself in these sentences about Jill.
Saddled : Use these words in sentences, and see if you can use one of them as a verb.
Russia’s Heroic Stand : In 1941, with much of the West subdued, Adolf Hitler bent the full force of his hatred on Moscow.
Approachable : Replace the verb ‘can’ with these alternatives, and explain how the meaning of the sentence has changed.
The First Easter : In a translation from the Authorized Version of the Bible, published in 1611, St Mark recounts the discovery of Christ’s empty tomb.
A Collect for Easter Day : A short prayer from the Book of Common Prayer, for the day of Christ’s resurrection.
The Gambler : Which well-known expression is Dr Johnson talking about here?
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